The Bulgarian contingents in Afghanistan are not going to be consolidated in 2010, incoming Defense Minister, Anyu Angelov, informed.

Bulgaria has about 500 rangers in the country as part of the NATO mission. They serve in Kandahar, Kabul and Herat. About 300 of them are, however, deployed in Kandahar where they guard the airport.

Bulgaria’s current Defense Minister and future Foreign Affairs Minister, Nikolay Mladenov, has voiced the idea to consolidate the entire contingent in one place in order to increase efficiency and reduce expenses. He reiterated the proposal during his current 5-day visit in Afghanistan, but a solution is still forthcoming and not expected until the end of the year.

4 Bulgarian rangers were injured Sunday night when a Taliban rocket attack hit the military base in Kandahar. The attack happened during Mladenov’s visit and parts of the explosive landed about 200 meters from his location. According to widely circulated media reports, the Taliban planned the attack exactly because of Mladenov being in Kandahar.

3 of the servicemen sustained serious wounds and their condition remains unchanged.

There are also contradicting reports about their transportation to a US military hospital in Germany. According to the latest ones, the rangers are still in Afghanistan and the date of their surgery in Germany remains unclear.

Angelov says that military base in Kandahar can provide adequate treatment, adding the life of Sergeant Alexander Alexandrov, who sustained the most serious injuries, is still in danger.

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